I am new to reloading and live in California where we can not use lead bullets so I woud like to pour copper bullets, I am a electrician, I have access to copper wire.
How to comput the weight of copper bullits from standard molds?
I am new to reloading and live in California where we can not use lead bullets so I woud like to pour copper bullets, I am a electrician, I have access to copper wire.
How to comput the weight of copper bullits from standard molds?
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Specific gravity of pure lead is 11.34. Specific gravity of pure copper is 8.96. If you have a pure lead bullet that weighs 200 gr., a pure copper bullet cast in the same mold should weigh 200 X 8.96/11.34 = 158 gr. I'm not sure what the melting point of pure copper is (didn't bother to look it up) but I think maybe you might have some problems melting and casting copper with standard bullet casting equipment. Interesting idea, though.
Wes
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Copper melts @ 1083 deg.F Lead melts @ 327deg.F Thangs for the fast reply.
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Samuel, Your temperatures are in error. Cu is 1083 degrees Centigrade (1981.4 F.) and Pb is 327 degrees Centigrade (620.4 F.) Ric
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Ric, you must be almost as old as I am. They changed the nomenclature from “Centigrade” to “Celsius” clear back in 1954. (I DID bother to look that one up.)
Wes
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Samuel
Where did you get your info on a ban on shooting lead bullets in California. As far as I know there is no ban on shooting Cast bullets and Trap and Skeet still use lead shotshells in California. There is a steel shot requirement for waterfowl hunting.
What interests me is your copper bullet idea. You would need a heat source hotter than one for lead. Once you cast some come back and give a report. Good luck.
Stephen Perry
Angeles BR:fire
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Ric, you must be almost as old as I am. They changed the nomenclature from “Centigrade” to “Celsius” clear back in 1954. (I DID bother to look that one up.)
Wes Wes, I will admit that when I was a freshman Chemistry major, you were required to take German language classes because they were still considered the world's leading chemists. Ric
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When hunting in Ca. you have to use lead free.
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SD,
I have limited lath turning knowledge however have you considered, cutting and sizing soft copper wire to length and making a flat point wadcutter from appropriate size wire? It seems that would be a cheap way to make bullets instead of trying to pour them in a mold. The mold would need to be cast iron or pour into a sand mold and then break them out. I believe a sand mold casting would still need to be turned to proper diameter.
Just a thought.
Bob D
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Sounds to me as though this thread is getting closer and closer to taking a piece of copper wire and swaging it into bullet form. Isn't something like that already being done by some of the major bullet manufacturers?
Wes
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